By LAURA WAKELY
GORTON MP Brendan O’Connor has been elevated to Small Business Minister under a Gillard Government reshuffle last week.
Mr O’Connor was given the position, vacated by Mark Arbib who resigned in the aftermath of the leadership stoush between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.
Mr O’Connor’s previous position of Minister for Human Services has passed to Senator Kim Carr, while his title of Minister Assisting for School Education has been dropped altogether.
“While my time as Minister for Human Services was short, I am proud of Labor’s record in helping disadvantaged Australians through tough times and back into the workforce, particularly in the challenging area of homelessness,” Mr O’Connor said.
“I’ve valued the time that teachers, parents and students in a variety of schools have shared with me over the past few months.
“It is crucial that we get the funding for students with disability right, and this work will be continued by Minister (Peter) Garrett.”
The reshuffle also sees the Small Business portfolio elevated to Cabinet for the first time.
Mr O’Connor said that small business was vital to the Australian economy, with more than two million small businesses employing five million Australians.
He said the portfolio’s elevation to Cabinet placed small business at “the centre of decision-making”.
“It’s very early days, but I am focused on the need to ensure that small business can continue to operate effectively,” Mr O’Connor said.
“I will look at the case being made by small business advocates like the Council of Small Business of Australia about the need to cut red tape and remove unnecessary regulation.
